MASLOVA'S AUNT.

Nekhludoff felt more at case with the boys than with the grown-up people, and he began talking to them as they went along. The little one with the pink shirt stopped laughing, and spoke¹ as sensibly and as exactly as the elder one.

"Can you tell me who are the poorest people you have got here?" asked Nekhludoff.

"The poorest? Michael is poor, Simon Makhroff, and Martha, she is very poor."

"And Anisia, she is still poorer; she's not even got a cow. They go begging," said little Fedka.

"She's not got a cow, but they are only three persons, and Martha's family are five," objected the elder boy.

"But the other's a widow," the pink boy said, standing² up for Anisia.

"You say Anisia is a widow, and Martha is no better than a widow," said the elder boy; "she's also no husband."

"And where is her husband?" Nekhludoff asked.

"Feeding vermin in prison," said the elder boy, using this expression, common among the peasants.

"A year ago he cut down two birch trees in the land-lord's forest," the little pink boy hurried to say, "so he was locked up; now he's sitting the sixth month there, and the wife goes begging. There are three children and a sick grandmother," he went on with his detailed³ account.

"And where does she live?" Nekhludoff asked.

"In this very house," answered the boy, pointing to a hut, in front of which, on the footpath⁴ along which Nekhludoff was walking, a tiny, flaxen-headed infant stood balancing himself with difficulty on his rickety legs.

"Vaska! Where's the little scamp got to?" shouted a woman, with a dirty grey blouse, and a frightened look, as she ran out of the house, and, rushing forward, seized the baby before Nekhludoff came up to it, and carried it in, just as if she were afraid that Nekhludoff would hurt her child.

This was the woman whose husband was imprisoned⁵ for Nekhludoff's birch trees.

"Well, and this Matrona, is she also poor?" Nekhludoff asked, as they came up to Matrona's house.

"She poor? No. Why, she sells spirits," the thin, pink little boy answered decidedly.

点击收听单词发音  

1 spoke
n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说
参考例句：
They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。 The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 standing
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。 They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

3 detailed
adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的
参考例句：
He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。 A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

4 footpath
n.小路，人行道
参考例句：
Owners who allow their dogs to foul the footpath will be fined.主人若放任狗弄脏人行道将受处罚。 They rambled on the footpath in the woods.他俩漫步在林间蹊径上。

5 imprisoned
下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。 They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

6 loom
n.织布机，织机；v.隐现，(危险、忧虑等)迫近
参考例句：
The old woman was weaving on her loom.那位老太太正在织布机上织布。 The shuttle flies back and forth on the loom.织布机上梭子来回飞动。

7 eldest
adj.最年长的，最年老的
参考例句：
The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。 The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

8 warp
vt.弄歪，使翘曲，使不正常，歪曲，使有偏见
参考例句：
The damp wood began to warp.这块潮湿的木材有些翘曲了。 A steel girder may warp in a fire.钢梁遇火会变弯。

9 doorway
n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径
参考例句：
They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。 Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

10 illicit
adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的
参考例句：
He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。 Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

11 deigned
v.屈尊，俯就( deign的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
Carrie deigned no suggestion of hearing this. 嘉莉不屑一听。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹 Carrie scarcely deigned to reply. 嘉莉不屑回答。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 apron
n.围裙；工作裙
参考例句：
We were waited on by a pretty girl in a pink apron.招待我们的是一位穿粉红色围裙的漂亮姑娘。 She stitched a pocket on the new apron.她在新围裙上缝上一只口袋。

13 benefactor
n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人
参考例句：
The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。 The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

14 languish
vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎
参考例句：
Without the founder's drive and direction,the company gradually languished.没有了创始人的斗志与指引，公司逐渐走向没落。 New products languish on the drawing board.新产品在计划阶段即告失败。

15 registration
n.登记，注册，挂号
参考例句：
Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。 What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

16 wink
n.眨眼，使眼色，瞬间；v.眨眼，使眼色，闪烁
参考例句：
He tipped me the wink not to buy at that price.他眨眼暗示我按那个价格就不要买。 The satellite disappeared in a wink.瞬息之间，那颗卫星就消失了。

17 pretence
n.假装，作假；借口，口实；虚伪；虚饰
参考例句：
The government abandoned any pretence of reform. 政府不再装模作样地进行改革。 He made a pretence of being happy at the party.晚会上他假装很高兴。